People power pays off in shock blow to $90m development plans for country town
UPDATE JANUARY 27 2025:
A proposal that hoped to establish a towering $90 million recycling plant in a sleepy NSW town has been quashed at the 11th hour.
Approved as a State Significant Development by the New South Wales government, the proposed 24/7 plant in the Southern Highlands would have involved 100 truck movements every day to process 120,000 tonnes of plastics a year.
But opposition by the local council, combined with people power and almost 3000 letters of protest, forced a review by the NSW Independent Planning Commission.
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A proposal that hoped to establish a towering $90 million recycling plant in a sleepy NSW town has been quashed at the 11th hour. Nine
The commission found "all matters weighing in favour of the application being approved are, when aggregated, outweighed by the deleterious impacts", which would be "detrimental to the quality of life currently enjoyed by the residents".
A Current Affair was with Moss Vale locals today as they celebrated an against-all-odds victory.
ORIGINAL STORY NOVEMBER 14 2024:
Angry locals in a quiet town in the NSW Southern Highlands fear they will be forced to leave the area if a proposal for a giant plastic recycling plant goes ahead.
Their fight is over a greenfield site, nestled in the rolling farmlands outside Moss Vale, where a giant plastic recycling plant is on the verge of receiving final approval from the NSW government.
The $70 million project, which is expected to be the size of three Bunnings stores, will surround a quiet country escape made up of hobby farms, families and local schools.
The $70 million project will surround a quiet country escape made up of hobby farms, families and local schools. Nine
If approved, there will be 100 trucks moving in and out every day at the 24/7 facility, which plans to process 120,000 tonnes of plastic waste per year.
Mum Sinead described the proposal's impact as "tragic".
"My children go to school within three kilometres of the site and sadly, we will leave the area if this goes ahead," she said.
Angry locals in a quiet town in the NSW Southern Highlands fear they will be forced to leave the area if a proposal for a giant plastic recycling plant goes ahead. Nine
Over a four-year period, the proposal has passed every state government test, despite the local Wingecarribee Council vehemently opposing it.
The company behind the site, Plasrefine, has no history of recycling.
In fact, it is a brand new company, with few employees, run by chief executive Nanxi Zheng and her uncle Yalin Lyu.
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Joshua and Najette are raising baby Eleanor 800 metres down the street from the proposed site. Nine
The Moss Vale facility is the only project it has underway.
Joshua and Najette are raising baby Eleanor 800 metres down the street from the proposed site.
"What really worries me is in their proposal Plasrefine said that you can manage exposure to air pollutants by limiting time outdoors," Joshua claimed.
Locals fear it might be too late to sway the state government which seems hell-bent on approving the plant. Nine
Zheng fronted locals at a town rally to allay community concerns, telling them the company was founded after her uncle became "deeply troubled" by the amount of recyclables ending up in landfill.
It did little to appease locals.
Locals fear it might be too late to sway the state government which seems hell-bent on approving the plant.
But they have vowed to go down swinging.
Submissions for the petition close on November 25.
Watch the full video in the player above.
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